Refrigerator-alarm.



.H. AMRHEIN.

REFRIGERATOR ALARM.

APPLICATIGN FILED JUNE 25. I915.

Patented June 27, 1916.

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5 Z/A/ I 4 Henr Amrlwin i l STATES or ICE.

REFRIGERATOR-ALARM.

. Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented J 1 1 27, 1916,

Application filed June 25, 1915. Serial No. 36,235.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LHENRY AMRHEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in refrigerator alarms, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly simpleand effective device of this character for producing an alarm should the parts become clogged or stopped up, which would cause the overflow of the drip pan.

A further object of the invention is to provide a float box in communication with the drain pipe and the drip pan, so that should the drain pipe become clogged, so as prevent the water flowing from said pipe or from the drip pan, an alarm will be sounded.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator with a float box having an outlet pipe leading to the drain pipe and the drip pipe leading from the drip pan thereto, said float box having a float mounted therein and carrying a contact arranged to coact with a pair of contacts carried by the refrigerator for completing an electrical circuit which includes an alarm device.

'cap 10. V V V v i Within the refrigerator, below the drip partment which is formed'by the ice tray or drip pan 8 acting as the partition. From the drip pan 8 leads the drain pipe 9 which projects through the bottom of the refriger ator and is provided with the ordinary pan 8 and preferably in close proximity thereto is placed the float box ll supported 'in any suitable manneras by the brackets 12 or the pipe 13 which forms the communication between the interior of the float box 11 and the drain pipe'9, said pipe 13 I of sufficient length to project beyond thetop With these ends in View, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims. y

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, re-

ferring-by numerals to the accompanying ing the back 3, the front 4, the sides 5, the

bottom 6, and the top 7. The interior may be divided into as many compartments as desired, one of which will be the ice comof the float box, and is guided or held in an upright position by the guide. 16 provided with a central opening 17 for the passage ofthe stem 15, andhavinguarms 18 radiating therefrom for attaching the same to the floatbox at or near the top thereof.

The outer end of the wire stem is provided with 'a contact 19 which when the.

float 14 is raised, is adapted to contact with the stationary contact members or plates 20, the latter being insulated from the metallic parts of the refrigerator and supported in any suitable manner such as by a bracket 21 of wood or other insulating material.

The contact members 20 are connected by wires 25 with a source of electrical energy 22 suchas the ordinary dry batteries used for ringing bells and an alarm device 23 such as a bell. j

The drip pan 8 is also provided with a drip pipe 24, one end of which projects'upward from the bottom thereof a predetermined distance, but terminating below the upper edge of the pan, and the opposite end projects downward toward the float box,

and overlies the upper or open end thereof.

If for any cause whatever, should the drain pipe 9 become clogged or stopped up below the pipe 13 leading thereto from the float box, the drippings from the ice will gradually back up into the float box 11 from the drain pipe 9, through the connecting pipe 13', causing the float box 14 to be raised which will bring the movable contact member 19 into engagement with the contact members 20, thereby completing the electrical circuit and causing an alarm to be sounded.

so I

If the drain pipe 9 should become clogged, both below and above the connecting pipe 13, the drip pan 8 will be gradually filled with water until it reaches the height of the up wardly projecting end of the drip pipe 24, when the water will run therethrough into the float box 14:, and when suflicient water has been accumulated in the lower end of the drain pipe, the connecting pipe 13 and the float box, the float will be raised to cause a completion of the electrical circuit as hereinbefore described.

The connecting pipe 13 may be of such size if found desirable, to be used only as a vent or drain pipe for the float box 11, so that should the drain )ipe 9 become clogged, or thedrip pan 8, from any reason whatsoever caused to fill up, the water when it has reached the height of the upwardly projecting end of the drip pipe 24 will flow through said drip pipe into the float box 11, andbecause of the smallness of the pipe 13, said float box 11 will be gradually filled with water, causing the float to rise and complete the electrical circuit. Then when the foreign matter, causing the overflow of the drip pan, is removed, the connecting pipe 13 will gradually drain through the box 11, so as to permit the return of the flow to its normal position.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, is

1. A refrigerator alarm in combination with a refrigerator having a drip pan, and a drain pipe, of a float box, a pipe leading from said float box to the drain pipe, a drip pipe leading from the drip pan to the float box, a float within said float box, a contact carried thereby, and an electrical circuit in which is included a pair of contact members, a source of electrical energy and an alarm device.

2. A refrigerator alarm in combination with a refrigerator having a drip pan and a drain pipe, of a float box, a pipe leading from said float box to the drain pipe, adrip pipe connected with a drip pan having one end projecting upwardly some distance from the bottom of said pan, but terminating below the upper edge of said pan, the other end of said drip pipe overlying the open end of the float box, a float within said float box, a contact carried thereby, and an electrical circuit including a pair of contact members, a source of electrical energy, and an alarm device.

8. A refrigerator alarm in combination with a refrigerator having a drip pan and a drain pipe, of a float box, a pipe leading from said float box to the drain pipe, a drip pipe connected with a drip pan having one end projecting upwardly some distance from the bottom of said pan, but terminating below the upper edge of said pan, the other end of said drip pipe overlying the open end of the float box, a float within said float box,

a stem projecting from said float beyond the upper edge of the float box, a contact mem ber carried thereby, a pair of contact n1enibers arranged in the path of travel of the movable contact member and insulated from the metallic parts of the refrigerator, and an electrical circuit including said pair of contact members, a source of electrical energy and an alarm device.

4. A refrigerator alarm in combination with a refrigerator having a drip pan and a drain pipe, of a float box, a pipe leading from said float box to the drain pipe, a drip pipe connected with the drip pan having one end projecting upwardly some distance from the bottom of said pan, but terminating below the upper edge of said pan, the other end of said drip pipe overlying the open end of the float box, a float within said float box, a stem projecting from said float beyond the upper edge of the float box, a contact member carried thereby, a guide provided with a central opening through which the stem passes and having arms for attaching the same to the float box adjacent the upper end thereof, whereby the stem is held in its upright position, a pair of contact members carried by the refrigerator insulated in the metallic parts thereof and positioned in the path of travel of the contact member carried by the stem, and an electrical circuit including said pair of contact members, a source of electrical energy and an alarm device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto allixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HEN RY AMRHEII.

Ni tnesses Ennonr Hnsxn, CI-IAs. H. CAsIINEn.

copies of! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner at )i'ntents,

Washington, D. Q, 

